Packaging of liquids



1932- E. F. DlVAL PACKAGING OF LIQUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 8, 1929 Feb. 2, 1932. E. F. DlVAL PACKAGI/NG OF. LIQUIDS Filed Feb. 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Infmfn? ,if arme Las 19 tight seal.

Patented Feb 2, 1932 UN En ermes rArNr- FFICE EDGAIR F. DIVAL, OF- BERWYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL PATENTS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, OF WILlVIINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE PACKAGING OF LIQUIDS y Application filed February 8, 1929. Serial No. :338,436.

% is to provide certain expedients for preventing the cans when closed from bubbling, that is, to prevent the syrup or other liquid from oozing out around the plug which ordinarily does not provide an absolutely air- It is customary to run syrup While still hot into the cans and then drive down the plugs before the syrup cools; The

- syrup heats andeXpands the air trapped in the can and the ar in escapng, gradually,

around the plug is likely to Carry with it a small amount of syrup which soils and makes sticky the outside of the can, sometimes injuring the label. This bubbling can be overcome to some eXtent by heating the air in the can after the syrup has been run in and before the plug is driven down, that is, while the plug is placed in the friction rin-g of the top but before the plug has been driven down by the capping machine. But this treatment is not entirely effective when, as may happen,

the can is put into a hot place, near' steam pipes for example on the grocefis shelf.

According to the present invention the friction edge of the plug is covered with a lacquer or other coating which softens under the heat of the syrup or heat applied to the lug from some external heating device. Preferably the can with its plug in place, but not driven in, is heated by a gas flame.

This procedure more effectively softens the lacquer and alsoheats and eXpands the air in the can. When the plug is driven into the friction ring by the capping machine and the lacquer on the friction surface of the plug has become dry, an effective and substantially airtight seal is provided which by preventing the ingress of air, resulting from lowered air pressure due to cooling, removes, in 'a large number of cases at least, all cause of bubbling even if the can and its contents are subsequently heated. 7 I

It has been common to lacquer the plugs of friction top cans; but the ordinary way has been to coat the sheet metal from which the m plugs are made with lacquer before the plugs are' cut and stamped. This procedure nakes it necessary to bake the sheets for long periods of time in' order to harden the lacquer as much as possible so that in the stamping operation'thetendency of the lacquer to gum up the dies will be counter-acted as far as possible.

' It has also been found'necessary in cutting and stamping can plugs from lacquered sheet before stamping.

The present invention contemplates lacquering the scaling or friction surface of the can plug after the plug has been completely formed, and this facilitates the stamping operation or Operations, makes possiblea very brief drying' operation in place'of the prolonged baking, and also enables the can maker to use the scrap metal circles. i

One of the objects of theinvention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for applying the lacquer, or other adhesive coating, to the friction surface of the can plugs.

Another object of the invention is to provide an effective 'method for softening the lacquer and at the same time heating and eXpandng air in the can above the syrup.

The invention is illustrated in certain preferred embodiments, which are subject to modification in respect to details of construction, in the accompanying drawings wherein: I

` Fig. 1 is a schematic plan-view illustrating the apparatus for applying the lacquer to the plugs, drying the lacquer, and softening the lacquer and expanding the air in the cans prior to' introducing the cans into the capping machine.

'30 to 45 minutes.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fi-g. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of one of the cans with the friction plug in place but not driven down.

F ig. 5 is a sectional view of the lacquered plug, with the thicknesses exagger'ated.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, with parts in section, of the apparatus for applying the lacdcluer to the friction surface of the plug, an

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional View on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring first to Figs. l, 2 and 3: A designates the press for forming the can plugs. Any suitable press may be used so that description of the same is unnecessary. B designates, as a whole, the machine (shown in .detail in Figs. 6 and 7) for applying the lacquer to the fricton surfaces, designated 10, of the plugs C (Fig. 5). The plugs are delivered from machine B to a belt or other carrier D, with their bottoms uppermost and, if it is desired to lacquer the bottom surfaces 11 of the plugs a lacquering roller E is provided, above belt D under which the plugs pass as they are forwarded by the belt. The lacquering of the bottoms of the cans is a common operation and forms, in itself, no part of my present invention so that the lacquering mechanism E is shown diagrammatically. The belt D extends through a drying chamber F provided, preferably, with a gas burner 12, with perforations on its under surface, arranged to direct jets of fiame against the plugs from above. This heat treatment is not in any sense a baking operation. The plugs are exposed to the fiame for a very brief period, preferably not more than a minutefis time at the outside, whereas the usual lacquer baking operation may require from The .heat merely sets or dries the lacquer. The plugs issuing from the drying chamber F may, if desired, be placed at once on cans G carried by a con- Veyor H to the capping machine J, indicated ,fragmentarily in Outline. it will be understood, have been filled with the syrup or other liquid, and the plugs are merely placed, without pressure, in the openings in the tops of the cans, which operation may be done either automatically or by hand. The carrier H is arranged to move under a gas burner K which directs ets of flame, for a short period of time, for example, for about 12 seconds, upon the tops of the cans and plugs. The heat thus applied eXpands the air in the cans which escapes, in part, around the loosely seated plugs. The heat also softens the lacquer on the friction surfaces of the plugs so that When the plugs are driven into place by the capping machine J two related results are effectechnamely: there is The cans,-

no squeezing out, so to speak, of syrup when. the plug is pressed in and no gradual increase of air pressure, with consequent oozing out of the syrup due to heating up of the air by the syrup; and the plug is hermetically sealed in the can so thatthe ,rarefaction of the airdue to its expansion and escape, when heated by burner K, is preserved whereby subsequent application of heat-to the can will not bring about the oozing or bubbling. i e

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7 The machine for applying the lacquer. to the friction surfaces of the plugs is preferably constructed as follows: 13 is a lower or carrier belt, preferably made up of metal links which extends around pulleys 14 and 15 fixed to shafts 16', 17 which turn in bearings 13, 19 on lower members 20, 21 of the framework of the machine. 'The lower reach, indicated at 22 of the belt 13, passes through a trough 23 arranged between the frame members 20, 21 and containing a body of liquid coating material 24, lacquer for example. The upper reach of belt 13, indicated at 25, passes over a guide plate 26'. 27 indicates an upper belt which extends around pulleys 28, 29 fixed on shafts 30, 31 turning in bearings 32, 33 on the upper frame members 34, '35 which are supported from the r lower frame members 20, 21 by uprights 36'.

.The can plugs C are moved edgewise, that is, in vertical position, through the space between the lower and upper belts, the lower reach of the upper belt passing under a guide plate 37. The upper belt is driven at a higher speed than the lower belt so that the plugs in their movement forward (the direction being indicated by the arrow under guide plate 26, Fig. 6) are also rotated with respect to the lower belt which brings the friction surfaces of the plugs, preferably through several rotations, into contact with the coating liquid on the upper reach of the lower belt 13. The plugs then pass by shoot 38 to the belt D above referred to. Guide strips 39, secured to the uprights 36, are arranged so as to hold said plugs in vertical position during their movement in contact with belts 13, 27. 4

Any suitable means may be provided for giving the belts their diiferential movements. ,The shaft 17, on which pulley 15 is mounted, is shown as provided with a driving pulley 40 and with a largegear'41 l in mesh with a small gear 42 on the shaft 31 on which pulley 29 is mounted.

The lacquering of the friction surface of the plug, indicated at 43, is overlapped by the lacquering 44 of the bottom surface of the plug. The heat applied in the drying chamber F brings` about an even distribution of the lacquer applied in the two lacquering Operations. The lacquered surface 43 not only brings 'about 'the effective sealing, as above described, but prevents -rusting of the plugs at the corner between the triction ring 10 and the flange 45, this place being particularly susceptible to rust because moisture can easily collect here.

I claim:

1. In combination with a capping machine for driving the plugs of friction top cans into the cans: a machine for applying a liquid coating to the friction surfaces of the plugs; a drying chamber; means for applying heat to the cans after the plugs have been placed on the cans but before the cans go into the capping machine; and conveying means for transporting the plugs, when coated, through the drying chamber and for moving the cans with the plugs thereon under said heat applying means and to the capping machine.

2. In combination with a capping machine for driving the plugs of friction top cans into the cansza machine for applying a liquid coating to the friction surfaces of the plugs; a belt to receive the plugs, bottom up, from the coating machine; means for applying coating to the bottom surfaces of the plug' while on the belt; a drying chamber through which the belt extends provided with a burner for applying heat to the plugs; a belt to transport the cans with the plugs thereon to thecapping machine; and a b-urner for applying heat to the plugs in advance of the capping machine.

3. Method of scaling the plug of a friction top can to prevent bubbling which comprises cover-ing the friction surface of the plug with an adhesive coating, drying the coating, placing the plug in the opening of the can, applying heat to the can to soften the adhesive coating of the plug and heat the air in the can and thereafter driving the plug into the can top.

l. Method of sealing the plug of a friction top can to prevent bubbling which comprises covering the friction surface of the plug with an adhesive coating, drying the hoat-ing by a short application of heat which does not bake the coating, placing the plug in the opening of the can, applying heat to the top of the' plug to soften the adhesive coating t-hereon and to heat and eXpand the air in the can, and thereafter driving the plug into the can top.

5. In combination with a capping machine for driving the plugs of friction top cans into the cans: a machine for applying an adhesive coating to the friction surfaces of the plugs; a drying chamber; means for applying heat to the cans after the plugs have been placed on the cans but before the plugs are driven into the can tops by the capping machine; and conveying means for transpo'ting the plugs, when coated, through the drying chamber and for moving the cans with the plugs thereon under the heat applying means and into the capping machine. '6. Method of making, for friction top cans, friction plugs having adhesive coatings which comprises stamping the plugs from uncoated metal, covering the friction surfaces of the plugs with an adhesive coating and applyng heat to the plugs to dry without baking the' adhesive coating.

7 Apparatus comprising in combination a press for forming friction plugs for triction top cans, means for coverin'g the frietion surfaces of the plugs with adhesive coatings, a drying chamber, and a conveyor to receive the plugs from the coating means and move them through the drying chamher.

8. Apparatus comprising in comb ination a press for forming friction plugs for `triction top' cans, means for covering the friction surfaces of the plugs with adhesive coatings, a drying chamber, a conveyor to receive the plugs from the coating means and move them through the drying chamber, and means for applying a coating to the bottoms of the plugs while in the conveyor and before the plugs reach the drier.

EDGAR F. DIVAL. 

